I was up early. I am a bit of an insomniac and I was surfing the web looking for some info on energy efficient home designs and stuff like solar hot water systems and ground source heat pump systems etc. I have been designing our next house for almost 2 years now a bit of an obsession I admit but it's better than watching infomercials or internet porn at 3 AM.

I've posted many times about how to implement residential alternative energy and my thoughts on tax credits etc so I decided to pen a letter to one of my senators.

If any of you would like to send a letter to your senators or congressmen, i thought you might want to use the letter I wrote to help save time.

Here is the text

Dear Senator:
I am writing you today to impart to you my interest and concern regarding the energy policy of our country. I have reviewed President Elect Obamas energy policy and I have serious concerns and doubts of the cost and efficacy of Mr. Obamas proposals. While I am sure we as Americans can agree that a new direction in our domestic energy policy must be taken not for merely the sake of the environment but also for our national security and economic well being of American citizens as well, I find the current political rhetoric on energy to be too lofty and quite frankly not very pragmatic.

There is, of course, serious need for improvements to our power grid and I am in complete support of new nuclear electric plants as well as clean coal technology. Wind and solar are real long term solutions as well. But these strategies are very expensive and will take years to implement on a scale large enough to make any serious difference. And we will not realize much in terms of actual cost reduction of energy for many years to come if at all.

Senator, I am proposing that you lead an effort to make it easier for Americans to do what we do best, innovate and create. It is my humble opinion that we citizens can lead the way to energy independence with pragmatic solutions and use of existing and proven alternative energy technology. You may know that the federal government already gives some limited tax credits to home owners and businesses that purchase and install alternative energy technologies such as solar hot water and ground source geothermal heating and cooling units, wind turbines and solar electric panels. I am proposing an increase in these tax credits from the current 30% to 100% of the cost of purchase and installation of alternative energy systems for all residential and business use to be taken over 5 years.

A long term strategy that makes it easier for citizens to implement new energy technologies will be more effective than additional government spending. The demand for new technologies will rise and new business opportunities will present themselves to the American entrepreneur. Jobs will be created and the country will benefit.

Of course, Senator, this proposal is a small piece of the puzzle. The long term solution will be an attack on all fronts. Building codes need to be changed to require more energy efficient design, higher car mileage standards need to be implemented etc. But if we have to start somewhere, I suggest we start by making it easier for the American people and businesses to use their ability to innovate and succeed. This determination and entrepreneurial spirit of our people has always been and still is our greatest strength.

I have no problem with the 100% tax credit. By doing that we are aiding fellow Americans do something that improves the energy picture for all of us. Much preferable to giving the money to people like Haliburton and AIG.

I am proposing an increase in these tax credits from the current 30% to 100% of the cost of purchase and installation of alternative energy systems for all residential and business use to be taken over 5 years.

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Excellent proposal in my opinion.

But since less than 50% of the people pay any taxes, and those people probably cannot afford to begin greening their lives, let me add an additional proposal.

An ENERGY EFFICIENCY LENDING PROGRAM for those who cannot take advantage of the tax credits system.

Either grants very low interest loans to citizens to make their lives more energy efficient, or in some cases give them grants outright to invest in fixing up thier carbon footprint.

For example, since the working poor often end up purchasing older cars with crappy mileage, helping them to get into energy efficient cars (made by AMERICAN AUTO MAKERS) seems a sensible policy as well.

I could use a more efficient oil burner for example. But given that I am too strapped trying to heat my home, I cannot invest in the $10 K or so it would cost me to replace my 20 year old furnace.

Ironically, I could could purchase the furnace, I could probably fund most of it from the savings I'd enjoy.

Multiply me by two or three million homeowners who are basically in similar circumstances, and America is self-funding energy economies which are long overdue.

We could have EASILY funded such a program with the money we've pissed away in Iraq.

They transference of money from the working class to the Banking class, would ALSO have likely funded this sort of sensible policy, too.

There's plenty of money out there, we';re just pissing it away doing stupid and frankly CLASS WAR things with it, rather than solving our problems, folks.

But since less than 50% of the people pay any taxes, and those people probably cannot afford to begin greening their lives, let me add an additional proposal.

An ENERGY EFFICIENCY LENDING PROGRAM for those who cannot take advantage of the tax credits system.

Either grants very low interest loans to citizens to make their lives more energy efficient, or in some cases give them grants outright to invest in fixing up thier carbon footprint.

For example, since the working poor often end up purchasing older cars with crappy mileage, helping them to get into energy efficient cars (made by AMERICAN AUTO MAKERS) seems a sensible policy as well.

I could use a more efficient oil burner for example. But given that I am too strapped trying to heat my home, I cannot invest in the $10 K or so it would cost me to replace my 20 year old furnace.

Ironically, I could could purchase the furnace, I could probably fund most of it from the savings I'd enjoy.

Multiply me by two or three million homeowners who are basically in similar circumstances, and America is self-funding energy economies which are long overdue.

We could have EASILY funded such a program with the money we've pissed away in Iraq.

They transference of money from the working class to the Banking class, would ALSO have likely funded this sort of sensible policy, too.

There's plenty of money out there, we';re just pissing it away doing stupid and frankly CLASS WAR things with it, rather than solving our problems, folks.

Click to expand...

The last thing we need is another give away program. A tax credit makes sense becasue it gives people incentive to upgrade.

I'd rather see a PPU (Profit Per Unit) Disclosure on every consumer item sold in the US that costs over a certian $ amount. That would make companies more competitiive with each other rather than focusing on how much they can squeeze out of US, it would force companies to become more efficient, and it would raise comsumer awareness.

If we can get a couple 100M people to sign a petition on that, I'll pay a lawyer to write it up.

The last thing we need is another government loan program. The federal meddling in the housing market didn't work so well did it?

As people who can afford green upgrades save money and take advantage of tax credits, the demand for oil will drop, prices will drop and lower income people will see savings they can then use for upgrades and the related tax credits.

Loaning more and more money is not an answer. Economies of debt do not promote stability as we have seen.

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